Flotation apparatus



A 9 8, 1939 J. M. MCCLAVE 2,168,942

FLOTATION APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1936 JAMES M. MECLAVE w. A? MATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 6,1936, Serial No. 88,971 In Canada July 9, 1935 2 Claims. (o 209-155)This invention relates to apparatus for removing floatable material fromores, oil sands and the like.

In application Serial No. 739,610 there is disclosed a method andapparatus for separating minerals, hydrocarbons and the like fromassociated materials. The present invention relates to another form ofapparatus for use in carrying out such flotation methods.

An object of the invention is to provide an eflicient flotation cellwhich affords any desired amount of agitation of the material undertreatment and yet maintains a quiet zone within which the separation ofthe floatable from the unfloatable material is eflfected, which ensureseven distribution of the material in a thin layer as it progressesthrough the cell, and which, when used with a heating jacket as inseparating oil from sands, permits more effective and uniform heating ofthe material to facilitate the liberation of the oil from the sandparticles.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Flgure 1 is a side elevation partially broken away; 1a

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan view on line 3-4 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, I represents the flotation chamber, above which iscentrally mounted by a frame 2 and journal members 3 a shaft 4 having adrive pulley 5 and carrying bevel gears 6 which mesh with correspondinggears I on the upper ends of vertical shafts l which are journalled inbrackets 9 on supporting members Ill carried by brackets II or the likeof the frame. Additional journalling brackets l2 and supporting membersl3 may be provided intermediate the length of the shafts. On the lowerend of the shafts 8 are rabble arms l4 having angularly disposed rabbleblades l5.

A hopper l6 feeds material adjacent the bottom of the chamber and abottom discharge outlet is provided at the opposite end of the chamber.To the discharge outlet is connected an upw'ardly inclined conveyor tubell in which is arranged a conveyor is, which may be of the helical screwtype shown, a drag conveyor, a bucket elevator or the like. 20represents drive means for the conveyor. Along the sides and, ifdesired, the discharge end of the chamber are slowly revolving drums orrollers 22 which may be driven by any suitable means, not shown. Theside rollers are illustrated as-being in sections but single rollers ofthe desired length may be employed. A scraper 23 may be provided foreach roll. When used for treating oil sands or the like, a heatingjacket 24 is provided on the bottom of the cell.

In operation the slurry or pulp to be treated is 5 fed into the cellthrough the hopper l6. Air and flotation agent as required areincorporated in the pulp as it is fed into the hopper or otherwise, asdesired. The water level in the cell is maintained at the point shownwith the rollers 1 22 contacting the surface of the water. Theinclination of the conveyor tube is such as to maintain the water levelat the desired point. As the pulp is discharged from the lower end ofthe hopper the solids therein are gently agitated and 15 conveyed in amore or less circular path by the angularly disposed rabble blades I!while the inter-related movement of the rabble arms l4 carries thesolids forward to the discharge outlet H. The gentle agitation of thesolids liberates go the floatable particles which are carried upwardlythrough the quiescent body of water to the surface and the froth or foamwith adhering oil or mineral matter is removed by the rollers 22. By

the time the solids have reached the discharge 25 end the repeatedagitation thereof has caused the liberation of the oil or mineralparticles and these have had ample opportunity of being picked up by therising bubbles of air, so that an efllcient separation is afforded. Thesolids then free or substantially free from floatable material arecarried from the cell by the conveyor l9 and discharged. A In thetreatment of oil sands, for which the cell is particularly well adapted,the steam jacket 24 applies heat to the pulp immediately adjacent theagitating zone and facilitates the quick release of the oil.

In the usual type of apparatus it is diflicult and costly to maintainthe desired temperature 0f the sand and oil at the moment of separationof the oil, partially at least because of the cold air entrained intothe cell. It will be apparent that in the present arrangement therelative long travel of the sands in contact with the heated bottomgreatly facilitates clean separation of oil from the sand.

It will be observed that alternate shafts carrying the rabble armstravel in opposite directions and that the angular disposition of therabble 5o Rotating paddles, paddle wheels, scrapers or other devices maybe used in lieu of rollers for the removal of the froth from the celland various other changes may be made within the scope of the inventiondefined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A flotation cell having therein a body of water the major portion ofwhich is maintained in a quiescent condition, comprising a chamberhaving a discharge outlet at the bottom, a feed inlet dischargingadjacent the bottom, an upwardly inclined conveyor pipe connected to theoutlet, vertical shafts projecting into the chamber, means to rotateeach of said shafts, rabble arms on the lower end of each shaft adjacentthe floor of the chamber and adapted to move in overlapping paths andangularly disposed blades on said arms to agitate solids in the chamberto form and release loaded bubbles which rise through said quiescentbody of water and to propel the remaining solids from the feed end tothe discharge end thereof.

2. A flotation cell as defined in claim 1 having means adjacent eachside of the chamber to remove from the quiet surface of the body ofwater buoyant material separated from said solids.

JANIES MASON MCCLAVE.

